1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to rakes and, more specifically, to a rake for golf course sand traps or bunkers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Among the techniques golf courses employ to increase the level of difficulty of a particular golf hole is to provide bunkers or sand traps near areas of the fairway or green where golfers are likely to hit golf balls. It can take a golfer several strokes to hit a golf ball back out of a bunker onto the fairway or green, even with a special golf club such as a sand wedge. Golfers typically leave footprints in the sand when they step into the bunker to hit golf ball s back onto the fairway. Furthermore, when the golfer takes a stroke with a golf club, he or she will invariably displace the sand in the bunker.
To return the bunker to its condition before the golfer retrieved his or her golf ball, it is common to use a rake. One problem with conventional rakes is that they tend to leave lines or ridges in the sand where the tines of the rake passed over the sand. Seeking to solve this problem, the Saksun patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,150, teaches a rake for a golf course bunker having a reversible head with tines on one side of the head and a flat portion on the other side of the head. The side of the head with the tines is used to substantially even out the sand in the bunker, the head is then turned over, and the flat portion is used to smooth over the lines formed by the tines on the surface of the sand. The tines are round and the head is substantially cylindrical.
One problem with conventional rakes is durability. Since rakes on golf courses are typically left on the courses 24 hours a day, they must stand up to the elements. Also, it would be desirable to have a rake with tines that do not bend or break, even when subjected to large forces, such as golf cart tires in the event someone accidentally runs over the rake. Another problem is that the handle has a tendency to become dislodged from the head of the rake. This is due to inadequate dimensions of the head portion of the rake. As explained below, the present invention overcomes these and other problems in prior art rakes.